


Principessa Diana

by MaybeItWasMemphis



Series: Diana & Nona [1]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Disorder, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, May/December Relationship, Older Man/Younger Woman, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:47:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 10,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22215799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaybeItWasMemphis/pseuds/MaybeItWasMemphis
Summary: Diana Britton is a successful romance novelist...with a not so successful personal life. At twenty-nine, she can't seem to relate to men her own age. She hates the bar/club scene, thinks modern music is a joke, and truly believes that technology will be the downfall of Western civilization.David Rossi is an FBI agent with a trail of broken hearts in his past. At fifty-five, he is tired of one-night stands and ten-minute marriages. He's lonely. On a trip to Boston to promote his latest true crime book, David meets Diana.Will age and distance stand in the way of true love?REPOST FROM MY OLD ACCOUNT
Relationships: David Rossi/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Diana & Nona [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599193
Kudos: 33





	1. Diana

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm just playing in CBS' sandbox.

_“Anxiety was born in the very same moment as mankind. And since we will never be able to master it, we will have to learn to live with it – just as we have learned to live with storms.”_

**\- Paulo Coelho**

“So, to recap: _Footprints in the Sand_ made the _New York Times Bestseller's List_ – at number one, _Harlequin_ expects the finished manuscript for, _The Phantom Revisited_ by the end of next month, and _Warner Brothers_ has put out feelers about buying the rights to _Love's Bounty_.” My agent, Kristy, droned on but I wasn't really paying attention. It was just the same old crap on a different day.

I needed a break. Pushing out five romance novels a year was killing me. I was twenty-nine and had been dong this since I was nineteen and had been discovered after submitting a short story to a contest being run by the romance publisher, Harlequin. I had been a fresh voice, an author writing for teenagers and young adults instead of middle aged, bored with their marriages housewives. I was the pride of the _Harlequin_ stable of authors but I was sick of it. Instead of writing about romance, I actually wanted to live for once. I was the only romance writer that I knew that didn't have so much as a boyfriend waiting at home. Aside from a first love that had left me pretty scared for life and a few dates here and there, I really had no romantic experience whatsoever. I wrote about what I wanted, not what I actually experienced. Fantasy and reality were two extremely different things. How was I ever going to find love if I spent all of my time simply writing about it?

“Diana? Are you even listening to a word I say?” Kristy huffed as she picked up her glass of ice tea and took a sip.

We were at our weekly brunch meeting at _Artison's Table_ , my favorite restaurant in my hometown of Orlando.

“Yeah...what else is on the agenda?” I asked absently.

Kristy just rolled her eyes as she looked back down at her iPad. I had known her since we were in the fourth grade together. I had been the introverted weird girl. Kristy had been the class mean girl...and not much had changed over the years. She was still a colossal bitch. The only reason I worked with her was because her bitchy demeanor also served to make her one of the best literary agents in the industry.

“May first through the seventh you are expected in Boston for the annual Muse and Writer Conference. You are giving two lectures, have agreed to hold a workshop, perform a book signing, and attend an author's panel on the last day of the conference.” Kristy rattled off in a bored tone of voice.

I loved Boston. The history of the city alone was enough to draw me in every time. I'm pretty sure the week I got to spend there was the main reason why I agreed to attend the Muse and Writer Conference every year. It sure as hell wasn't because I enjoyed meeting new people.

“After that, don't schedule any more personal appearances for awhile. I have way too many unfinished manuscripts sitting on my desk.” I instructed as the waitress arrived with our meals.

“The fewer appearances you make, the less money you make.”

“Money isn't everything.” I shook my head. I had made enough to retire a long time ago so I really wasn't worried about the financial ramifications of my decision.

When I looked up at my agent, poor Kristy looked like I had just told her that the world was flat. Opps. I had forgotten. Kristy got twenty percent of all my appearance fees. Guess she was going to have to lay off the expensive spray tans for awhile.


	2. Dave

“Dave, how long do you plan on being away?” Aaron asked, not looking up from the paperwork in front of him.

“A little over a week.” I was seated on the leather couch in the younger agent's office with a stack of case files on the glass coffee table in front of me. One lay open in my lap as I filled out a case report.

The B.A.U. was experiencing an unusual amount of down time – not that we were complaining – so Aaron and I were taking that time and catching up on all of our backed up paperwork. The bureaucracy that was the FBI really, truly sucked sometimes. There was no elegant way of putting it...it just sucked.

“The last day of April to May eighth.” I gave him the exact dates. He was filling out my vacation time request form. He was going to end up asking anyway.

“Where is it you're going anyway?” Aaron finally looked up. “You said you were taking vacation, you just never said where or why.”

“I'm a guest speaker at a conference in Boston,” I replied, signing my name to the bottom of a case report, I finished up with the case file that I had been working on for the past two damn hours. “I'm also doing a book signing for my new book.”

“The one about the Reaper?” Aaron asked with a haunted look in his eyes.

I gave a curt nod, “It's my first release in awhile so my publisher wants to drum up some interest.” While the Reaper case may finally have been put to bed, I knew that with the loss of Hailey, the memory of George Foyet would live with Aaron forever.

“Are you going to take any of that time away to actually relax?” Aaron changed the subject and gave me a look that I was almost positive he gave Jack when he was giving the little boy a lecture.

“The cabin is for relaxing. This is a work trip.” I replied dismissively.

“When was the last time you were even up at Little Creek?” Aaron challenged, not letting the subject drop.

It had been almost five months. Mudgie was going stir crazy in my D.C. area condo with only daily walks and no room to really run free. My friend Bill, who owned the hunting lodge to the north of my cabin had even called a few days earlier to check up and make sure that I was still alive.

The truth was...I was sick of the solitude. I was tired of drinking hundred-year-old scotch and listening to Tony Bennet alone. The more I worked, the less time I had to focus on how lonely I truly was.

“Drop it, Aaron,” I told him sharply.

Aaron Hotchner was a smart enough man to know when to leave well enough alone and shut up.


	3. Diana

** April 30 **

** Dulles International Airport **

I groaned as I lugged my brown leather computer bag from one gate to another. Kristy had taken out her frustration at me for temporarily halting public appearances by convincing my dimwitted assistant personal assistant to book me on a flight from Orlando to Boston with a change of flight in D.C. Matthew usually booked me on a straight shoot. I was going to smack the hell out of him when I got home.

As I made my way to my new gate, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and ended up colliding with another person.

“Shit,” I muttered as I nearly fell over but a pair of strong arms reached out and steadied me.

“You alright, cara?” A rich voice with a slight New York accent asked.

Once I had regained my bearings, I looked up to find a handsome, middle-aged Italian man with a goatee...and an amused smirk hidden behind it.

“Ye...yeah,” I managed to stutter out in reply. One on one interactions with handsome men were not my forte. “Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going.” Nope, not one bit. I had been mentally strangling Matthew.

“No harm done.” The man shook his head with a smile before turning and making his way to the gate to board the plane.

It took me a moment to collect myself before I too made my way to the gate and handed over my boarding pass to the flight attendant. Once I was on board and found my seat, I thanked God that Matthew had at least remembered to purchase me an aisle seat. I detested flying and the last thing I wanted was to be forced to sit next to the window with a constant reminder that I was not on the ground. Yes, I knew you could pull the shade down but it didn't matter to my anxiety.

It was only after I had stowed my laptop and taken my seat that I noticed that my seatmate was the handsome Italian man that I had literally bumped into only a few minutes earlier. He had the true crime book, _The Reaper Case Revisited_ , open on his try and was scribbling on a legal pad. He stopped when he noticed me. “We meet again,” He said as he put the cap on his pen.

“Looks like it,” Yeah, I was only witty on paper.

“David Rossi,” He turned and held out his hand to me.

“Diana Britton,” I introduced myself and shook his hand.

“Diana Britton the author?” He raised an eyebrow at me.

I was actually grateful that he didn't preface the word author with the word romance. In the literary world, writing about love automatically seemed to make you a lesser artist in the eyes of the industry. “Yeah,” I gave him a genuine smile.

“I loved your novel, _Footprints in the Sand_. It was a risk writing about the parents of murdered children finding love with each other...but you did it very realistically. The emotions were very true to life. You also captured the psychosis of the serial killer beautifully.”

I'm pretty sure that was the greatest compliment that I had ever received in regards to my work and I was struck by a sudden suspicion. “Any chance you're that David Rossi?” I nodded at the cover of the book on his tray.

He nodded, “Yeah, but most people call me Dave.”

“Or Agent Rossi?”

This time, he was the one who was surprised that I knew who he was. “At work, yeah.” He chuckled.

“I used your book, _Portrait of a Modern Serial Killer_ to help me develop the serial killer in _Footprints in the Sand_ ,” I explained.

“I guess it really is a small world...Principessa Diana.” He smirked.

I rolled my eyes, “While that isn't the first time I've been called that...kudos to you for being the first person to do it in Italian.” I chuckled and he smiled. “My mom loved Roman mythology. I was named for the goddess of the hunt. I also have a sister named Nona and a brother named Apollo.”

As he sat there looking at me as though he was trying to figure out if I was being serious or not, I couldn't help but dissolve into laughter as the plane taxied onto the runway.


	4. Dave

By the time that we landed in Boston, I had become quite enchanted with my raven-haired seat mate and found myself not wanting to part from her company. Diana was a unique woman for her age, which couldn't be more than thirty (he was a gentleman, he hadn't asked). She was introverted but very smart and witty once she was comfortable with you. She also had tastes that ran more in line with his generation than hers. She confessed to enjoying the music of the Beatles, Joan Baez, even Tony Bennett and good ol' Frank Sinatra. Like me, she also still stubbornly carried a Blackberry because she didn't see the need of upgrading to a smartphone.

When it came to looks, she reminded me of what I'd always imagined the mythical Diana she was named for to look like. Hair as dark as night, brown eyes with a touch of honey, sun-kissed skin and a voluptuously short build. If you asked me to describe my perfect woman, all I would have to do was point at her.

We got off the plane together and chatted all the way to baggage claim. When I discovered that we would be staying at the same hotel, I took a chance and asked if she wanted to share a cab. To my pleasant surprise, she said yes. Once at the hotel, I started to think that maybe fate was trying to tell me something when our rooms ended up being directly across from each other.

I couldn't help myself, as she stood outside her room, waiting for the bell hop to finish unloading her bags, I asked, "Hey, Principessa Diana, you wanna come over and have a drink with me?" I knew that since she was an introvert, I would have a better chance of getting her to agree to a drink if I didn't ask her out to a public place. "I have the Beatles _White Album_ on my iPod."

That actually got a smiled out of her and she nodded, "sure, I'd like that."

"Why don't you go and change into something more comfortable and meet me over here in say, an hour?" I suggested and she agreed.

Once alone in my room, I noticed the time. It was a little after six. I was starving and I knew that Diana hadn't eaten since at least before she had boarded the plane so I placed a call to room service. I ordered a couple steaks and their best bottle of scotch. I had just changed out of my suit and into a pair of jeans and a red button-down shirt when Diana arrived at the same time as room service.

As I tipped the bell hop, I took a look at what Diana was wearing. She had traded in her skinny jeans and prim blouse for a pair of black leggings and a loose fitting purple sweater that hung off one shoulder. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and on her feet were a pair of uggs. She looked adorable.

Once the bell hop had left, closing the door behind him, I turned to her with a warm smile. "I ordered us dinner... I hope you don't mind."

She shook her head. "No, I don't mind but, Dave... is this a date?"

"Only if you want it to be. I've noticed you're a bit introverted so I thought it best to just let you decide. I like you but if you're not interested, this can just be dinner between two friends, no pressure."

"You picked up on the introversion, huh?"

I knew she was stalling to give herself time to think and I let her. "I'm a profiler, cara, it's what I do."

"I like you too, Dave." She paused and chewed on her bottom lip. "And I think I'd like for this to be a date."

I reached out and took her hand, rubbing soothing little circles on her palm with my thumb. "Then a date it is, cara."

[ **_MY WEBSITE_ ** ](http://www.badwolfrose.com)


	5. Diana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: 'Dear Prudence” is copyright © the Beatles. I make no claims of ownership.

After the shock of discovering that Dave was attracted to me and wanted to turn our evening drink into a date had worn off, I was slowly starting to relax in the older man's presence once again. I considered this a major achievement on my part. I was usually an anxious mess on dates and guys never called me again. It wasn't like that with Dave though. He had this amazing ability to make a person feel completely at ease in his company. After only a few minutes of talking to him, you felt like you had known him for years.

“So, what got you into writing?” Dave asked as he took a sip of his scotch.

After finishing dinner, we had moved to the small sitting room of Dave's suite for a drink. We were both seated on the small sofa but he had been considerate enough to give me a wide berth. “I've been shy and introverted my whole life.” I pulled my feet up and tucked them underneath me. “At first, when I was a kid, I tried to fit in. I believed my parents when they told me that the more I socialized, the better I'd get. I spent all of elementary school forcing myself into uncomfortable situations in a vain attempt at fitting in. The only good thing that came out of those years was that I learned that I loved to write... and I was good at it. By the time I was twelve and shopped off to boarding school in France, I had figured it out. I was way better at writing about the real world than I was at living in it... and that's what I've stuck to ever since.” I tucked a piece of my dark brown hair behind my ear and giggled nervously. “That was probably way more than you wanted to know when you asked that question.”

“Actually,” he reached out and took my empty glass out of my hand, setting it on the tiny wooden coffee table. “That's exactly the answer that I was looking for. Do you know what I love about introverts, cara?”

“What?” I asked, biting my lip.

“When they grant you the privilege of getting to know them, everything they share with you is 100% honest and real. To a man that's been married three times, transparency is appreciated at this point.” He chuckled as he refilled his glass, silently asking if I would like another.

I shook my head no. “Three times?”

He simply held up three fingers and wiggled them before explaining, “I used to be too focused on my job with the FBI when I was younger. I left the job once, for my last wife. That's when I started writing and, like you, I discovered that I was pretty good at it. My marriage was already too far gone to be saved at that point but I got a nice paying second career out of the deal.”

“Why did you go back to the FBI?” I asked curiously. David Rossi was the go-to name in the true crime genre. There was no way he needed the government paycheck.

“After a while, I got sick of just writing about the job...”

“You actually wanted to live what you were writing,” I finished for him.

He nodded and smiled. “Yeah... sounds like you know exactly how that feels, mia stella.”

“I do,” I blushed and looked away.

“If I wanted to read one of your books... what book contains the best representation of you? All fiction authors have that one character that is based on themselves. What's yours?”

That was a question that I most certainly not been expecting. He was right of course. All authors had that one character. But did I really want to admit to mine? It was kind of embarrassing.

“I would never laugh at you, cara.” Dave looked over and caught my eye.

“Eden James in Love's Bounty,” I admitted.

“The shy, reclusive writer daughter of the President.” He downed the rest of his glass. “I had kind of already guessed that.” Had he actually read more than one of my books? He got to his feet and held out his hand to me as one of my all-time favorite songs started to drift from his iPod. “Dance with me, Principessa Diana?”

I think that was the first time in my life that I wasn't scared by a man reaching for my hand. Taking it, I let him pull me to my feet and into his arms, although once again he still kept a respectable distance. My arms were on his shoulders and his hands were on my waist. It was almost comical. It was like we were two teenagers at the middle school dance as we swayed to the music.

“ _Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?_

_Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day._

_The sun is up, the sky is blue,_

_It's beautiful and so are you._

_Dear Prudence, won't you come out and play?”_

At this point in the song, I had grown a little bolder and moved my arms from his shoulders to loosely drape around his neck. Following my cue, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tighter against him.

“ _Dear Prudence, open up your eyes._

_Dear Prudence, see the sunny skies._

_The wind is low, the birds will sing,_

_That you are part of everything._

_Dear Prudence, won't you open up your eyes?”_

As I stared into the dark brown eyes of my dance partner, I was both thrilled and terrified. For the first time ever, I was looking at a man who knew how to get past my carefully constructed walls. David Rossi had the power to emotionally destroy me if I let this go any further. Was that a risk that I was willing to take?


	6. Dave

The next morning, I made sure that I was at Diana's door bright and early. I had seen the panic in her brown eyes the night before and I didn't want to give her the chance to run from what could turn out to be a very good thing for the both of us.

Just as I raised my hand to knock, the door opened and I came face to face with a surprised Diana.

“Dave,” she smiled nervously. “What are you doing here so early?” She was dressed in jeans a white t-shirt and had her purse slung over her shoulder and chest.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to have breakfast with me but it looks like you're on your way out.” I nodded at her purse. “Where are you off to, cara?” I inquired. The conference didn't start until the following morning so she couldn't be on her way to a public appearance.

“To play tourist,” she giggled uneasily. “I was going to visit JFK's birthplace and take a Kennedy themed walking tour in the North End.”

“Mind if I come along, Principessa Diana?” I gave her my most charming smile. “My rental car should have been delivered to the parking garage this morning so it'll save you from having to waste money on a cab. We can call it our second date.”

She bit her bottom lip, ran her hand through her hair and seemed to wage some sort of internal battle with herself. Finally, she sighed and stepped back into her room, waving her hand to indicate that I should come in as well. Once we were inside, she closed the door and leaned her back against it, her eyes closed.

“What's wrong, dolcezza?” I didn't make a move closer so as not to invade her personal space. “You can talk to me, you know.” I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my jeans and kept my tone casual. I would do whatever it took to keep Diana from retreating into herself and away from me.

“You could really hurt me, Dave.” She opened her eyes but didn't look at me or move away from the door.

“You could really hurt me too, Diana.” I couldn't help but take a step closer. “It might be hard for you to wrap your pretty little head around but you're not the only one feeling things that you've never felt before.”

This got her to actually look at me. “We live in different states,” she pointed out. “You said you work all the time and my anxiety can't handle a lot of travel. And what about the fact that you're twenty-one years older than me? That is a whole old enough to drink person older!”

I could see the panic attack coming before it even started. Now, I did invade her personal space. Walking to stand directly in front of her, I took her purse off her shoulder and set it on the table by the suite door before taking her hand and leading her to the loveseat in the small sitting area. I took a seat and gently tugged her to sit down next to me.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and was a little surprised when she didn't pull away. She was tense and didn't move closer but she still didn't pull away. I took this as a good sign. “Age is nothing more than a state of mind, bella. It matters how old you are on the inside, not how old you look on the outside... and you, mia tesoro, are a very old soul. You just happen to have a very beautiful, young wrapper.” She giggled and blushed but she also relaxed a little bit more. “And, if we work out, there's always options to solve the distance problem. You could move to Virginia with me or I could retire again and move to Orlando with you but... let's not worry about that right now.” I gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “We have a week together to see if this is something we both want. Let's enjoy it and worry about the rest when it comes.”

She turned to me and smiled. “I like that idea,” she said softly. “Wanna be my date today?”

“I'd love to, cara,” I reached up with my free hand and brushed some of her dark hair behind her ear. “But I want to try something first... if it's okay with you?” I was about to press my luck and I knew it.

“What?” she asked curiously.

“Can I kiss you, dolcezza?” I watched her closely to gauge her reaction.

She looked startled for a moment before her face flushed and she nodded, “yeah.”

Relived that she said yes, I cupped her cheek in my hand and placed a tender and chaste – I didn't want to scare her – kiss on her lips. When a happy little sigh escaped her, I couldn't help but smile as I pulled away.

“I think that's something I'm going to want to try again later,” I said jokingly although I was completely serious.

Diana laughed and I was starting to think that red was now the permanent color of her face. “Me too,” she nodded.

Not wanting to push her any further for the moment, I got to my feet and held out my hand to help her to her feet. “So, why a tour of JFK's birthplace?” I asked as we walked hand in hand towards the door.

“I'm kind of a history geek who has an odd fascination with the Kennedy family.” She laughed as she retrieved her purse and we headed out. “I know, I'm a nerd.”

“We're headed to Brookline then?” I laughed at the look of shock that came over her face at the fact that I knew the location of JFK's birthplace. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer as we entered the elevator. “You're not the only history geek in this relationship, cara.”


	7. Diana

I started our date a complete nervous wreck. Dave's kiss, while amazing, also served as a reminder of all that I stood to lose if this relationship didn't work out. Dave had been correct when he said that I was feeling things that I had never felt before. Being with him felt freeing but it also felt like coming home. I wasn't used to either one of those feelings.

Dave had put up with my standoffish behavior right up until we finished touring JFK's Beals Street birthplace. He slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me to his side as we made our way over to the group that was waiting for the North End Kennedy-themed walking tour to begin. “You know, dolcezza, this is a date, not a hostage situation... relax.”

Easy for him to say. He hadn't been born with a chemical imbalance that made relaxing next to impossible. I hated it when people told me to relax. It was like they thought I was anxious and socially awkward because I wanted to be. If I had a choice in the matter did they really think I'd choose to feel this way? It was maddening. Who purposefully made themselves emotionally unstable?

To his credit, Dave seemed to realize that he'd said something stupid almost as soon as the words had left his mouth. “Forget what I just said, cara mia. I know better than to ask you to do that.” He gave my waist a light squeeze and laid a kiss on my cheek.

“It's okay,” I smiled, instantly forgiving him. There weren't a lot of people willing to put up with someone like me and I cherished the few who did. I didn't expect the people in my life to get it right all of the time when it came to my anxiety. I just expected them to try and that's exactly what Dave was doing.

Our tour guide appeared before us and I suddenly found myself disinterested in taking the tour. “Do you want to blow this off and go and do something else?” I asked, looking up at him. I hadn't planned this outing knowing that it would turn into a date and I found myself disliking the group atmosphere even more than I normally did.

“Sure, sweetheart.” He pulled me a few steps back, onto the sidewalk, as the tour group departed minus us. “What would you like to do?”

I took a moment and wracked my brain, thinking of all the things in Boston that I either enjoyed doing or still wanted to do. The Red Sox weren't playing so Fenway Park was out. “How about we do the aquarium and then get lunch?” I suggested. “It will be easier for me to relax and enjoy our date if I'm not stuck around a bunch of people. We can go at our pace at the aquarium and get to know each other better.” Was I babbling? It sure sounded like I was babbling.

Dave smiled and pulled me into his arms. “Time alone with you sounds like heaven, dolcezza.” He used the palm of his hand to rub soothing little circles on the base of my back.

Even though my heart was beating so fast that I thought I could hear it in my ears, I leaned up on the tip of my toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips.


	8. Dave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: 'I Can't Fight This Feeling' is copyright © REO Speedwagon.

Diana and I were mostly silent as we strolled from exhibit to exhibit at the _New England Aquarium_ and she was still slightly jumpy. Even though she had kissed me back on Beals Street, she still wasn't completely comfortable with me. That very fact ate at something inside me. A sign off to the side caught my attention.

_**The Soft Rock Jelly Fish Light Show** _

_**Every 30 Minutes!** _

I looked down at my watch. A show would be starting in five minutes. “What do you think, cara mia?” I got Diana's attention and nodded towards the sign.

She nodded with a small smile and allowed me to take her hand and pull her through the door. On the other side, we found ourselves alone in a small auditorium. Special seats, that faced upwards looked up a huge water-filled tank.

I took a seat just as the lights went down. Instead of allowing Diana to pass me and take a seat in the chair beside me, I pulled my introverted love interest to sit with me. The way the chairs were designed, this had the effect of her pretty much laying on my chest as we gazed up at the tank. I'm not sure how I expected Diana to react to our intimate position but I certainly hadn't expected her to do what she did. Placing her hand on my chest, she actually cuddled closer to me. I wrapped my arms around her and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Suddenly, a black light was shined into the tank above us and hundreds of fluorescent blue jellyfish could be seen serenely drifting through the water as the auditorium's sound system began playing.

_“I can't fight this feeling any longer,_

_And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow._

_What started out as friendship has grown stronger._

_I only wish I had the strength to let it show...”_

Diana picked up her head and looked at me for a moment before leaning forward and softly pressing her lips to mine.

_“And even as I_ _wander_ _,_

_I'm keeping you in sight._

_You're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night...”_

Diana actually giggled when we broke apart. “You know,” she whispered, “this would be so romantic if the song wasn't so cheesy.”

I just shook my head and chuckled before pulling her lips back to mine.

_“Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore,_

_I've forgotten what I started fighting for._

_And if I have to crawl upon the floor,_

_Come crashing through your door,_

_Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally made up the exhibit mentioned in this chapter so don't expect to find it on a visit to the New England Aquarium. I kind of wish it was real though.


	9. Diana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The movie 'Multiplicity' is copyright © Harold Ramis. I just borrowed a few quotes from an awesome but forgotten 90's movie.

After the aquarium, we had gone to lunch at a small little diner hidden away in downtown Boston. I was happy to find myself now completely relaxed with Dave. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that I had spent a half an hour in his arms, making out with him while glow-in-the-dark jellyfish spied on us from above. I hadn't shied away from his affections since. Hell, I had even begun seeking it out myself. By the time we arrived back at the hotel, I found myself not wanting to part from his company.

“Hey, carina, do you want to come back to my room with me?” Dave wrapped his arm around my waist as we waited for the elevator. “We could watch a movie.”

It looks like I wasn't the only one who didn't want the date to end just yet... or ever in my case. The elevator dinged and the golden doors opened. Dave ushered me inside before I answered, “I'd love to.”

An hour later found us cuddled on his bed watching _'Multiplicity'_ on HBO.

“ _You're both doodie-heads! Go up to your rooms and don't come out until you're married!”_

“I think I might have yelled something similar at my little brother and sister when I used to watch them when I was a teenager,” I giggled into Dave's chest, on which I was happily laying.

“Did you have to look after them a lot?” Dave asked curiously, as he ran his fingers through my hair in a way that was making me totally sleepy.

“Our mom died when I was fourteen. Breast cancer. Nona and Apollo were still pretty young and our dad worked all the time. The little twits ran off any nanny our dad hired so I looked after them most of the time,” I explained.

“I'm sorry about your mama, stella mia,” and he laid a kiss on my forehead. “It sounds like you were forced to grow up too soon.”

“Don't be,” I responded. I'd long ago come to grips with my mother's death. “And believe it or not, I'm glad I took care of Nona and Apollo. It made us really close.”

“ _No clone nookie! Original nookie only!”_

At that moment, my cell phone started ringing. I sat up and grabbed it from where I had left it on the nightstand. Looking at the caller I.D. I chuckled. Apollo's ears must have been burning. “Hello?” I answered.

“Da... Dad, I ha... hate you!” My little brother was slurring. There was techno music blaring in the background.

I rolled my eyes. The idiot was drunk off his ass. “Apollo, it's Diana, not dad... and, PLEASE, don't call Dad and say that,” I groaned. That was a mess that I just didn't feel like cleaning up... again.

I heard a small scuffle before an unfamiliar but sober voice came on the line. “Sorry lass, tried to nick the phone before he called anyone. Got it now though. No worries.”

“Thank you... whoever you are.” I shook my head as I disconnected the call.

“Everything okay, dolchezza?” Dave asked as I put my phone back on the nightstand and reclaimed my spot cuddled up to his chest.

“Yep, just wondering when exactly I dropped Apollo on his head when he was a kid.”


	10. Dave

The sun had long since gone down when Diana went completely silent as she laid in my arms. I looked down and found her sleeping peacefully, no worry lines in sight.

“Cara mia,” I nuzzled her forehead with my nose as I rubbed her back. As peaceful and comfortable as she looked, I didn't want her to think that I tricked her into spending the night with me.

“What?” Diana's voice was sleepy and almost child-like when she opened her brown eyes and looked at me.

“I'm sorry I woke you, sweetheart.” I kissed her softly and was elated when she leaned into it instead of away. “I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable spending the night me, cara mia. I didn't want you to wake up in the morning and get upset.”

Diana chuckled. “No, Dave. I fell asleep because I was uncomfortable with the idea. I'm anxious, not a crazy person you have to handle with kid gloves.”

“I didn't think that you were, smartass.” I lightly tickled her side. “You wanna run across the hall and change into your nightclothes?”

“No,” Diana buried her face in my neck. “Too far away and I'm too sleepy.”

Sleepy and playful Diana was a side to my girl that I could quickly get used to. It was adorable. “Wanna wear one of my t-shirts?”

“Only if you get it for me so I don't have to get up,” she rolled over and gave me a puppy dog look.

Shit. I knew the familiar mixture of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin that was taking place in my brain and shooting straight to my heart. I was in love, after only a day and a half. This was a new record for me. I couldn't tell Diana. She was anxious enough as it was. If I told her that I was in love with her she would run away screaming and never believe me. She was finally relaxed and being herself around me. This was a secret that I'd have to keep to myself for a little while. If I had any chance of keeping the woman in my arms she could NOT know that I loved her.

“You're lucky you're so adorable,” I kissed her quickly. “I'll get you the shirt and I'll change in the bathroom to give you some privacy.”

Diana surprised me when she kissed me, deeply, before sitting up. “Thanks, Dave.”

If that was the thank you I had in store for me every time I did something nice for her, I was about to become Prince freakin' Charming.

A little while late as we lay in bed, cuddled up in the dark, Diana once again shocked the hell out of me. “I was thinking,” she was absentmindedly drawing shapes on his chest. “If we're giving a relationship a trial run this week, shouldn't we share a room? That way we can spend as much time together as possible.”

“Cara mia,” I held her a little tighter. “I like your way of thinking.”


	11. Diana

I woke up feeling pleasantly warm and way more comfortable and safe than I was accustomed to.

“You regretting this already, cara mia?” Dave's voice was husky with sleep as he nuzzled my neck, his goatee tickling my skin.

I rolled over in his arms until I lay facing him. “Not at all. Why does the fact that being with you doesn't scare me somehow manage to scare me? That shouldn't even be possible.”

Dave laughed before leaning forward and giving me a lazy (and sexy as hell) kiss good morning. “You're just special I guess, sweetheart. Eventually, you'll realize how much I care about you and you'll know without a doubt that I'd never do anything to hurt you. That fear will go away, I promise.”

“I believe you,” I smiled. I really did believe him and that day without fear couldn't come soon enough.

“Good,” he pulled me a little closer. “I have a lecture on writing about the criminal mind in a few hours and then I'm free for the rest of the day. What about you?”

I glance over Dave's shoulder to the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was seven in the morning. “I have a book signing at ten and then nothing until that press junket tomorrow night.” A group of about ten to twelve different authors, Dave and myself included, who had new books set for release were gathering to answer press questions. It was the stupid promotional BS that I had always despised.

“I was thinking that after we get your stuff moved in here we could take a drive to the Berkshires. It's only a couple of hours away. We could grab dinner at this little Greek pizza joint I know and then take a drive up to the top of Mount Greylock to watch the sunset. We won't get back here until late but I promise to make it worth it.”

That sounded romantic as hell and I did say that I wanted to start living what wrote about. I couldn't have written a better date myself. “I'd love that. I've heard that you can see five states from the summit.” And that there was a magic school somewhere up there.

“I guess we'll see when we get there.” Dave a big smile on his face and it warmed my heart knowing that I was the one who put it there, that Dave was happy because of me, because he wanted to be with me.

“I care a lot about you too, Dave,” I admitted although I knew my feelings went beyond that. They were bordering on love territory. 

Dave didn't respond verbally, he just pulled me closer for another kiss. It seemed like every time he kissed me, the kiss got deeper and longer...and I wasn't complaining about it. Not. In. The. Least.


	12. Dave

It had been sunny with not a cloud in the sky all morning and well into the afternoon. The sky hadn't turned dark until we were almost all the way to the Berkshires. The heavens had turned violent when we were about twenty minutes outside of Williamstown. Thunder roared and lightning flashed across a sky that was so black that you would have thought that the sun had already set. The rain grew so heavy that I was forced to pull off the road into the first parking lot I could find. It belonged to a small ma and pa motel. I parked in a spot under the awning of the building right in front of the office just as an emergency weather advisory come over the car radio.

“A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for all of Berkshire County and the surrounding areas. A line of severe storms will be moving through the area over the next forty-eight hours. Winds of up to seventy miles per hour and quarter size hail are expected. Rainfall of up to ten inches possible in some areas. Flooding in low-lying areas is possible and should be expected. Residents are advised to stay indoors and off the roads if at all possible.”

Well. There went my plan to take my girl up to Mount Greylock to see the sunset. That would be suicide in weather like this. We weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

“Looks like we should probably get a room, cara mia. There's no way we can drive back to Boston in a storm like this.” I killed the car's engine. “We were certainly smart to bring overnight bags with us.” We had each brought along clothes to sleep in and an extra outfit just in case we decided to stay the night in the Berkshires. Now it appeared that they really had no choice. 

“Alright,” Diana nodded and smiled. It appeared that I had interrupted her while she was deep in thought.

“I don't want you getting any wetter than you have to so I'll run and check us in.” I leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

I was completely drenched by the time we made it to our small but comfortable room on the second floor. Depositing our bags at the foot of the bed, I went to take a quick shower and change while Diana changed in the bedroom. 

When I exited the bathroom it was to find Diana lying in bed in a small purple slip of a nightgown once again deeply lost in thought.

“You, sweetheart, have to be the sexiest woman that I have ever laid eyes on,” I told her truthfully as I crawled into bed beside her.

Diana simply smiled and kissed me before pulling away and biting her lip.

“What is it, dolcezza?” I reached up and caressed her cheek. “Something's been bothering you since we left Boston. Tell me what it is so I can help.”

“I need to tell you something but I'm really, really scared of how you're going to react. I just can't keep it to myself. It's too hard.” She was blushing and wouldn't meet my gaze.

“There's nothing you could tell me that I would react badly to. You can tell me anything, Diana,” I assured her. 

“I want to still be with you when this week is over.” She reached for the hand that wasn't being used to prop myself up and began playing with my fingers.

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. “That's great news, cara. Why would you be scared to tell me that?”

“That's not all,” she shook her head.

“Go on,” I nodded.

“I'm in love with you...even though I know you probably think it's too soon. You don't have to say it back. I just needed you to know.” Diana was beet red and babbling.

She was so damn anxious that she had no way of knowing that she had just made me one of the happiest men on earth. I silenced her babbling with a hard kiss to her pouty lips. “If you would shut up, you'd know that I love you too, Diana...so much sweetheart.”

Finally, she met my gaze, a happy smile on her kiss-swollen lips. Her little hand ran up my t-shirt clad chest. “Dave, will you make love to me?”

“For the rest of my life,” I promised before kissing her once again.


	13. Diana

Dave was a gentle and passionate lover. He took me to the brink, over the edge, and back again before he even put on the condom. He wasn't exactly Ron Jeremy but, compared to my ex, he was ginormous. Also, unlike my ex, I knew this was more than just sex. This was more than just a biological itch that needed to be scratched. When he slipped inside me for the first time, I actually cried. I wasn't sad, no, and it most certainly didn't hurt. For the first time in my life, I felt complete. I knew where I belonged. It was overwhelming. 

“Are you alright, principessa?” Dave stilled once he was seated inside me and noticed my tears. “Diana, am I hurting you?”

“No,” I shook my head and ran my hand up his bare chest to wrap around his neck where my other hand joined it. “This is perfect, baby.” It was the first time that I had ever used a pet name with him and Dave took it as his cue to start moving. “Fuck! I love you,” I moaned as he hit that sweet spot inside of me, over and over again. 

“I fucking love you too, Diana.” Dave leaned down and took my lips in a passionate kiss.

Much later, as we laid curled up together, my head on his chest and our bare legs entwined, I said, “I don't want you to retire from FBI.”

“Than I won't,” he kissed my forehead. 

“I don't want us living in two separate states either,” I continued.

“Than move to D.C. with me,” his arms tightened around me. “You already said your younger sister lives there and we can do this all the time.” He started to playfully nibble on my neck. 

I abruptly sat up. “Hand me my phone.”

Dave sat up with a confused look on his face as he grabbed my phone off of the nightstand and handed it to me. “Who are you calling, cara mia? It's almost midnight.”

I couldn't help smirking. “My agent, Kristy. I pay the bitch enough to answer the phone whenever I call.”

Dave raised his eyebrows at my language. He wasn't used to me cursing very much but he also didn't know the history that was between Kristy and I. I hit Kristy' number on my speed dial and waited for the call to connect. It took about six rings.

“Do you have any idea what time is it?!”

I glanced at the motel's alarm clock. “Yeah, it's 11:53. Massachusetts and Florida are in the same time zone and I learned how to read a clock in kindergarten.”

“And yet you still had to repeat the second grade,” Kristy snapped.

That had been because of a combination of severe anxiety and bullying. I was too scared to attend school and missed so many days that I didn't qualify to move up a grade. That had nothing to do with my intelligence and the bitch knew it. “Well, I still made the grade up and graduated two years ahead of you. I have a reason for calling, you know.” This insult fest could go on all night if I let it.

“And that reason would be...?”

“I'm moving to D.C. I wanted you to be the first to know since you're based out of Florida.” My voice was sickeningly sweet and probably fooling no one. “I'll be looking for new representation. You're fired.” I hung up the phone and fell, giggling, back into Dave's arms.

Dave was looking at me with a questioning but amused look on his handsome face. 

“That was karma,” I explained. “I've wanted to do that for over twenty years.”

Dave shook his head before gently kissing me. “I love you, ya know.”

I smiled. “Good, because I love you back.”


	14. Dave

_ **TWO MONTHS LATER** _

“Cara mia, we're going to be late,” I called up the stairs of our condo. “The fireworks aren't going to wait for us.”

“Relax, I'm right here.” Diana appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing a modest pair of jean cut-off shorts a red, white, and blue, off-the-shoulder peasant top. Her brown hair was pulled back with an American flag bandana and a simple pair of silver hoop earrings hung from her ears. On her feet were a pair of leather roman sandals. “You know we're the only ones who are going to be there, right? No one's gonna know if we're five minutes late.”

Not true. I'd know and I had everything planned out perfectly. I had rented the community gazebo that sat next to the lake in the park just a few miles up the road from our condo. I'd enlisted the help of Diana's younger sister, Nona. She had set up the decorations while I retrieved Diana from home. 

“What on earth..?” Diana beamed almost a brightly as the white lights that were strung all over the wooden gazebo. In the center of the structure sat a small white table with a candelabra in the center. Also on the table was an ice bucket holding a bottle of Diana's favorite pink champaign and two long-stemmed glasses. “Babe, what is all of this?”

I walked over and held out her chair for her so she could take a seat. We'd have a perfect view of the fireworks from our seats. “I know I haven't been home much the last few weeks because of that case in Jersey. I wanted to make it up to you.” I was lying through my teeth but the lie only had to hold up for the next roughly five minutes. 

Diana giggled and took her seat. “Well, if this is what you're like on the 4th of July, I can't wait to see you on Valentine's Day.”

I poured us both a glass of champagne and had just brought my glass to my lips when a loup pop followed by the quick illumination of the sky signaled that the park's annual firework display had started. The display wasn't anything special. Just basic fireworks that were heavy on the red, white, and blue. The surprise didn't come until the very end of the five-minute show. A collection of green, blue, and yellow fireworks all went up at the same time to spell out a very important question. 

**_*** MARRY ME, DIANA?” ***_ **

Diana gasped, dropping her glass and causing it to shatter on the wooden planks of the gazebo floor. “Shit! Dave, I am so sorry.” In the yellow glow of the candlelight, I could see that she was blushing like mad. Honestly, that was one of the things that I loved about her. We now shared a home and a bed. I made love to her as often as she would allow me to. I knew how beautiful she looked naked and yet something as simple as breaking a twenty-dollar glass could get her all flustered. 

“Dolchezza, don't worry about it,” I chuckled nervously as I set my glass on the table. “I'm more interested in your answer, sweetheart.” Reaching into my jacket pocket, I retrieved the ring that I had spent the better part of a month designing. Knowing her distaste for diamonds and gold, the ring was made of platinum and had a large, princess-cut ruby in the center. I reached for her left hand and held it gently in mine. “Diana Stephanie Britton, I love you, cara mia. I love coming home to you after a hard case because there's just something about you that makes everything better. I love that I don't have to try with you because we just fit. I love spending Saturday afternoons watching old movies with you and then cooking dinner together and getting a little tipsy while listening to records. I love ending the night with you nake in my arms after making love. I love the life that I have with you. I love everything about you. Will you marry me, Diana?”

“Of course I will.” Diana had tears streaming down her face but she was also wearing the biggest smile that I had ever seen her wear. 

I slipped the ring onto her finger before pulling her into my arms and stealing her lips in a kiss that promised much more once we got home.


	15. Diana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The song lyrics in this chapter are copyrighted to the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. Beehive, call Beyoncé what you want but don’t call her the queen. That will ALWAYS be Ella.

I was engaged. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I knew that Dave loved me, but I hadn’t known that he loved me enough to put a ring on it.

After the fireworks and a couple of glasses of champagne we had departed from the park and started our short drive home. I was quiet for most of the five-minute journey and I guess this concerned Dave.

“Are you okay, mia amore?” He asked as he pulled the car into the driveway and killed the engine.

“I’m blissfully happy,” I looked at him and smiled. “I guess I’m also still in a little bit of shock.”

Dave leaned across the center console and gave me a quick kiss. “As long as you aren’t regretting this, cara.”

“Never. I could never regret you.” I reached up and lightly stroked his cheek, his whiskers tickling my fingers.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, sweetheart.” He kissed me once again.

His words held so much conviction that I had no choice but to believe him.

***

I kicked off my shoes the moment we stepped through the front door and plopped down into Dave’s favorite armchair, knowing full well that he was probably going to make me get up, so he could sit down. I was always cool with that though. It meant that I got to sit in my favorite spot…on his lap.

Dave didn’t come over and change the seating arrangements. Instead, he walked over to the record player that we kept set up under the window and he put on my all-time favorite Ella Fitzgerald. Then, he walked over and held out his hand to me. “Dance with me, la mia anima.”

When he spoke Italian, I couldn’t resist him. I took his offered hand and allowed him to pull me to my feet and into his arms. We started gently swaying to the music.

_“They told Marconi,_

_Wireless was a phony._

_It’s the same old cry,_

_They laughed at me wanting you,_

_Said I was reaching for the moon._

_But, oh, you came through,_

_Now they’ll have to change their tune._

_They all said we never could be happy,_

_They laughed at us and how!_

_But, ho, ho, ho,_

_Who’s got the last laugh now?”_

Emotion piled up in my chest, overwhelming me, and I couldn’t have stopped the happy tears from falling even if I had tried.

Dave simply smiled and leaned down and kissed them away.

“Dave,” my voice was breaking but I couldn’t help it. “I love you so damn much, baby.”

“I know, mia amore. I love you too,” he assured me. “Tu sei quella che stavo aspettando,” he told me reverently right before his lips came down on mine.


	16. Dave

“Are you sure you don’t want to book a church or maybe a ballroom somewhere?”

I couldn’t believe that my young bride to be was making the wedding planning process much too easy…and affordable. Unlike my previous wives, Diana wasn’t trying to turn our wedding into the social event of the season. She only wanted out families and closest friends in attendance and she wanted to hold the wedding on the bank of the lake that our vacation cabin sat on. The closer we got to out nuptials, the surer I was that I was making the right decision for the first time in my romantic life.

“I’m sure,” Diana nodded with a smile as we stood on the porch of the cabin, gazing out over the lake. “The art teacher at Nona’s school runs a side business creating custom wedding arches out of flowers. She’s going to make us an arch using flowers that come from the regions in Italy where our families are from.

Nona, Diana’s kid sister, worked as a teach for an elite D.C. private school. Since Diana had moved in with me, the two sisters spent a lot of their free time together. When I was called out of town on cases, it wasn’t uncommon for Nona to stay at our condo. It helped to ease Diana’s anxiety and for that I was grateful. Nona was a sweetheart, just like her big sister and she had become like family to me as well.

“I got Apollo’s RSVP,” Diana continued. “He said he’ll be in town a week before the wedding and he offered to walk me down the aisle. Good thing too. My dad’s secretary called this morning to inform me that Dad won’t be able to make it.”

Diana’s father was a rich Florida defense attorney who was the poster child for bad parenting. He wasn’t a fan of the fact that his daughters chose to have careers instead of marrying rich, socially prominent men right out of college like good little socialites. It didn’t matter that Diana continuously made the _New York Times Bestseller List_ or that Nona had been named Teacher of the Year by the District of Columbia after only her first year of teaching. As for their younger brother, Apollo, he really didn’t exist to his father because he was gay. Sure, Apollo was a bit of a wild child bit he was also a talented hairstylist who was very much in demand by film studios and the rich and famous alike. That was on top of the fact that he was a genuinely good person.

“What’s his excuse this time?” The old asshole who was only fifteen years older than me always had one.

“Get this,” Diana snorted out a laugh. “He had to attend the wedding of one of his firm’s partners.”

“Forget that asshole,” I waved a hand dismissively.

“I did…a long time ago,” Diana assured me.

I walked over and wrapped my arms around her waist, placing a kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry he’s such a jerk, cara mia.”

“It’s not your fault, babe,” she cuddled up to my chest as she wrapped her arms around me. “I know you’ll be a much better father to our kids.”

I would. I would do everything in my power to show my children that I loved, supported, and was oh so thankful for them. I would love my kids just as passionately as I loved their incredible, beautiful mother.

“I love you, Diana,” I leaned down and softly kissed her.

“I love you too, David.” She smiled at me like I was the greatest man in the world…and for her, I would be.


	17. Diana

** FOUR MONTHS LATER **

** CHRISTMAS EVE **

“So,” I laughed as I flopped down to sit beside my husband of almost three months on the couch that sat in front of our Christmas tree. “How well did I feign surprise?”

We were spending our first Christmas together at our cabin in Little Creek. We were joined by my brother, Apollo, and his partner. My sister, Nona, was also in attendance with her boyfriend, Dave’s friend and co-worker, Spencer. Well, he was her boyfriend until a little over an hour earlier when the couple had announced their engagement. I acted surprised because I had already known that the announcement was coming. Spencer had used Dave’s jeweler, and the couple had just gotten back from a romantic trip to North Carolina. I could do the math. 

“You were perfect, as always, la mia anima.” Dave wrapped a strong arm around me and softly kissed my forehead. 

I leaned my head back against his shoulder and smiled up at him. “You want your Christmas present?”

“It’s not Christmas yet, Principessa Diana,” he reminded me. He was probably the only person on planet earth who could get away with calling me that.

“I know,” I nodded, “but I wanted to give you this present in private.”

Dave raised an amused eyebrow.

“Mind out of the gutter, old man,” I chuckled and smacked his chest lightly. 

“That’s not what you were calling me last night,” he teased, making me blush. 

“I thought a man’s libido dropped the older he got.” I had learned to give as good as I got when it came to my husband’s teasing. 

“Cara mia, have you seen yourself?” Dave laughed huskily. “All you have to do is look at me, and I’m ready to go. I’m a damn lucky man, and my libido knows it.”

“I’m lucky too.” I leaned down and softly kissed him before grabbing the green envelope that I had stashed behind a couch cushion and handing it to him. “Merry Christmas, baby.”

I watched my curious husband open the envelope and extract the black and white photograph that it contained. He looked confused for a brief second before everything seemed to click for him. He looked at me with a tender expression on his handsome face. “I’d wondered why you suddenly lost your taste for scotch.”

I nodded and giggled. “Trust me, I miss it, but this is more than worth going without for a while.”

We’d started trying to get pregnant immediately after our September wedding. I hadn’t expected it to happen this quickly, but I wasn’t complaining. I had everything that I had ever wanted.

Dave reached out a hand and gently placed it over my stomach. “I don’t know how you’ll ever top this gift, sweetheart. This is the greatest gift that anyone has ever given me.” He reached up with his other hand and cupped my cheek, his thumb lightly caressing my bottom lip. “Ti am oil, mia angelo.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I offered him a small smile. “I love you too, babe.”

I gave myself to him, freely, and without fear, as his lips came down passionately on mine, and he got to his feet, with me in his surprisingly strong arms, and carried me upstairs to bed. I was finally living the love story as opposed to writing it. Finally.

**__ **

**_ FINIS _ **


End file.
